Asheville – “This year, pride is more vital than ever,” reads a meme posted by the Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE), a left leaning organization. “It’s Pride Month, and this year you can make a huge difference in the lives of transgender youth and their families”, reads one of the organization’s Facebook posts.” However, many groups are beginning to question the fact that such differences are beneficial as is demonstrated by a number of new laws recently passed. “Abortion care is healthcare,” reads another CSE meme, in spite of the fact that it says little about the healthcare of the unborn baby.
CSE is led by the Reverend Jasmine Beach-Ferrara. Best known for her work in early childhood education as a member of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, Beach-Ferrara graduated from Brown University and received her Master of Divinity degree from Harvard. She is also a minister at the United Church of Christ and has held several distinguished posts, such as a seat on the Biden Foundation’s Advisory Council for Advancing LGBTQ Equality as well as an appointment to the committee charged with distributing Opioid Settlement funds in North Carolina.
Along with her wife, Meghann, Beach-Ferrara is a parent of three, so it is little wonder that the organization she is affiliated with is focusing this year’s Pride Month activities on the right of youth to access “gender-affirming healthcare.” The term is used to describe not only medical procedures like plastic surgery to change the physical appearance of, in this case, youth, but also ongoing hormone treatments as well as counseling and other therapies to help children cope with the transition. Nonetheless, she is in the minority.
According to CNN, of the 7,558 state legislators in the US, only 8 are transgender. Opposition is strong and continues growing. All but three of the 19 bans on gender affirming care were enacted this year, MAP data shows. (Movement Advancement Project) While restrictions initially focused on preventing minors from accessing gender-affirming care, states have increasingly targeted health care for adults, some proposing bans thru the age of 26. (acponline.org)
In North Carolina, for example, five bills are currently advancing through the legislature. H43, S460, S639, H808, and H786 would restrict the ability of minors to undergo gender-altering medical procedures. While these bills reflect concerns about the potential risks and long-term consequences associated with such procedures, they also highlight important considerations regarding the well-being and safety of children. S639, for instance, emphasizes concerns about potential adverse effects on bone density, brain development, cardiovascular health, respiratory conditions, and cancer risks, as well as the potential for irreversible sterility. The bill raises questions about the long-term impact on mental health, including increased rates of substance use disorder, depression, psychiatric hospitalizations, and suicide.
Additionally, the controversies surrounding the long-term effects and outcomes of these procedures call for a thorough examination of available evidence and informed discussions regarding alternative approaches. Furthermore, H786 aims to protect minors from exposure to explicit content on smartphones, highlighting broader concerns about age-appropriate access to information. It is essential to carefully evaluate the potential risks and benefits of gender-affirming medical procedures for children, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of their long-term implications, and prioritizing the well-being and best interests of young individuals.
Bills that have been submitted but aren’t moving include H574/S631, which would restrict the ability of persons born with XY chromosomes to participate in women’s scholastic athletic activities and persons born with XX chromosomes to participate in men’s scholastic athletic activities. S49 is a parents’ bill of rights, which would affirm the authority of parents to choose which type of school their children attend, oversee their children’s religious instruction, access their children’s academic and health records, make healthcare choices for their children, opt in or out of biometric record collection, be informed of criminal proceedings against their children, review textbooks, etc.
Despite parent advocacy, The CSE sees the bill as “prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity topics in schools and requiring all school staff to ‘out’ students to their parents if they use a different pronoun or identify with a different gender at school.”
The issue of LGBTQIA+ representation in school libraries is not without its controversies, and there are organizations on both sides of the debate. While the Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) advocates for the rights of trans children and promotes the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ books in libraries, there are other organizations working to limit the presence of such materials for children in school scenarios. In response to a press release from the county, it was highlighted that some organizations are actively striving to prevent the inclusion of books featuring LGBTQIA+ authors and characters in school libraries.